Total MIS-adventure Perris shore 9/28/11

[ddoskocil]

Been a decade since fishing near bernasconi beach. Read some reports, heard some tips that it might be okay. SO here I go...park, no clue where anything is. I walk to the left a little, but then try to cut straight in to the water. Mistake 1. Really thick. I go left a little more, can't get through. I go right. Mistake 2. I hike through the thick stuff for 10 minutes. Get to an old launch ramp. OK, maybe a little further. Mistake 3. I keep going right through the really thick stuff. So thick you can't see anything but trees and brush. There was a partial trail, but I'm ducking through, stepping over trees, fighting the webs. All this with a backpack and 4 rods. 15 more minutes, and I punch through away from the lake. I almost made it to the west end of where the island is. HOLY CRAP! So I hike towards the mountain, get a trail, and head back. DOH! It takes me 10 more minutes to get back to where I started, my truck! Almost an hour wasted, and tired. So now I go way left, find the damn road, and head toward the tower. SO after all this, I hit the rocks, start with some frogs and shad baits, but by now it's 9. SO I go to the DS and senko. Finally, fish on the first DS cast. Maybe a nice one, but gets in the weeds. SO after all this, I don't want to lose this fish. Off go the shoes and socks, into lake Perris thigh high, and pull out a 1 1/2 pounder. All that?? But at least I got it. Another hour and manage 5 total fish, 2 more dinks and 2 more 1 pounders. Chalk it up for experience, and what NOT to do! BUT, better than work. I did find sone grass flats, but like some people told me, they were dead and getting thick. There were a ton of 2 inch shad around, but didn't see any bass chasing them. Maybe if I got there by 7 it would have been better! (Thanks for the PMs guys).

[Natural Lefty]

ddoskocil, I had a similar experience trying to fish Bernasconi last year, only I didn't catch any fish. I wasn't as persistent as you though. I wound up deciding that you have to hike way to the left toward the outlet tower to find good fishing, as you eventually did.

[eddiefishtaco]

At least you got out and had a little adventure dude,
most of us are here, stuck at the computer.

did you see any rattle snakes?

[ddoskocil]

Yeah, it did make me feel a lot better to get a couple. No snakes. Tons of spider webs - so annoying. Only 2 pairs of shore fishermen, one with a few bluegill, and one fishing for carp. Talked to 3 boaters. Fishing was slow, about like I did.

[Natural Lefty]

It's definitely a jungle out there, if you know what I mean. It wasn't that way before they lowered the water level, though.

[fishmounter]

Watch out for the ticks when you go through all that brush!

[headcase881]

Hey that does not sound to bad of a trip you did some hikeing,got familiar with your surrounding ha ha j/k that does sound like one heck of a adventure. At least u found fish. i was therr last weekend Konacrush and I and didnt get that between the two of us. keep hittin that side there are fish there and good size just need a tube and ull find them

[bassgrabber1]

Sounds like a good day to me.....Steve and I went out yesterday and he caught 4 all under 2# and I caught 0....yeah that's right , I got the old stinker. I was determined to pull one out of the brush but they were just to stubborn.

[TheAsianGuy]

Good hiking none the less. Looks like you found the round-about swamp land (now dried up) near the ramp. That area is like a maze. Luckily you didn't find any snakes there. It would have been a nightmare to run out from that point. If the water would have been high, you could have land quite a few carps and basses there. they love that spot for some reason. Maybe because of the dense vegetation that house the bugs and larvae there? Birds also love to nest in that area, especially the cranes and sparrows? I'm not a bird watcher, so, not sure of the species. Like everyone said, it's better to be there than to be in front of the screen.

[Hole Pounder]

Hey guys, im heading out there tomorrow morning on a float tube. Only fished Perris once and got skunked. back in post spawn. Would you guys suggest the Bernasconi side or the points near the docks if you were on a float tube?